Bednar and Johnson Visit VA Hospital on Fourth of July

Red, white and blue… and silver.
This year's Fourth of July festivities for the Colorado Avalanche featured a meaningful visit from Head Coach Jared Bednar and defenseman Erik Johnson with the Stanley Cup to the Rocky Mountain Regional Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Aurora on Monday morning.

The initiative was initially suggested by Johnson, who hails from Bloomington, Minnesota, to show support and appreciation to those who have sacrificed everything for their country and to do so, on the very patriotic holiday that recognizes and celebrates independence.
"Being an American, I thought [doing this] on the Fourth would be extra special," Johnson said. "It was fun for me to come down here and see some real heroes of our country and to just have them get some signatures and pictures with the Cup is extra special. The Cup is so special because it really brings joy to so many different people. Everyone knows about the Stanley Cup whether you're a hockey fan or not. It was fun to share this with them and to brighten their day on the Fourth."
Prior to taking photos and signing autographs with veterans and staff members, Bednar toured the hospital to take in all of the amazing initiatives and care options that the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center offers.
In the lawn of the South entrance to the hospital stands a Blue Star Memorial marker - which honors those actively serving - where Bednar also posed for photos.

Bednar also learned about the Fisher House, which provides temporary lodging for families of veterans and service members who are experiencing a medical crisis as well as any service members who have a child that is receiving treatment at the Children's Hospital. The Fisher House located at the VA medical center encompasses 16 rooms.
In the courtyard of the hospital, the coveted platinum Stanley Cup was showcased on a table in front of flags that represented each branch of the United States armed forces and which served as the backdrop and centerpiece for photos with Bednar and Johnson along with the veterans and staff.
"Fourth of July always makes you think of the people who serve our country and the sacrifices that they make," Bednar said. "Being able to come out to the VA Hospital today, we had a great turnout, got to meet a bunch of the patients and a lot of the staff. There's no better way to celebrate the Fourth than bringing the Cup out here and letting anybody enjoy it a little bit.
"The veterans themselves, some have been here quite a while and some are new to the hospital," Bednar continued. "Just meeting everybody and including the staff - all of the hours that they put in to help our veterans - it just feels good to be able to bring the Cup to them."
After greeting veterans and staff, signing autographs, posing for photos and admiring the Stanley Cup, Bednar and Johnson presented Thomas Talamante, who is the associate director for VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, with an Avalanche jersey that contained signatures from the Cup-winning team for display at the hospital as well as signage of quotes from Colorado's dressing room to be showcased for inspiration.
While the event came together with relatively short notice, the positive impact was evident between the veterans and staff along with Bednar and Johnson, who all exchanged meaningful sentiments and mutual appreciation on the national holiday.
"We found out about this yesterday afternoon," Talamante said. "The team scrambled together to get everything set up in the courtyard. It was great and what a morale booster for our staff and most importantly, our veterans. Once word got out, there were a lot of people that came down to meet Coach Bednar and Erik. It was a great event and we're very grateful. Congrats to the Avs on a great Stanley Cup victory."